Lesson

Balaam's Donkey Sunday School Lesson for Kids

A free Balaam's donkey Sunday school lesson (Numbers 22:21–35) in four age levels, preschool to preteen, with a game, Bible story, questions and take-home.

Preschool–Grade 6

Balaam's Donkey Sunday School Lesson for Kids

📌 Save to Pinterest

Download

Free to print and copy for your church, classroom, VBS and home. Please don't resell or re-post our files; link to the page instead.

Ages: Preschool (3–5), Early Elementary (K–2), Upper Elementary (3–5), Preteen (5–6)
Time: 20–60 minutes (depends on the age level)
Scripture: Numbers 22:21–35
Bible story: Balaam's Donkey

What you need

A Bible (mark Numbers 22:28 and Numbers 22:35)
Bibles for the kids to look up verses (3rd grade and up)
7 paper strips, a marker and tape (memory verse game, kindergarten to 2nd grade)
A small object to hide in plain sight, like a pencil or a toy (3rd to 5th grade)
A whiteboard or large paper and a marker (3rd grade and up)
Paper and pencils (3rd grade and up)
Printed take-home sheets, one per child
Printed Balaam's donkey word search and crayons for early finishers

This free Balaam's donkey Sunday school lesson teaches kids to listen to God and own up when they are wrong. Balaam "rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass" (Numbers 22:21; an ass is a donkey), and three times the donkey saw the angel of the LORD in the way while Balaam did not. Then "the LORD opened the mouth of the ass" (22:28), and "the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam" (22:31), and Balaam said, "I have sinned" (22:34). It comes in four age levels, each a separate printable teacher lesson, plus one take-home sheet for families. Everything is in the order you teach it.

Choose your age level

Preschool (ages 3–5), 20–30 minutes, 2 pages: a Go, Donkeys, Stop! game, a short story with hand motions and repeat-after-me lines, three simple questions, a short memory verse ("only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak") with motions, and a donkey drawing.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade, 45 minutes, 3 pages: the Only My Word game, the story in simple words, five recall questions with answers, the Only the Word memory verse game with seven paper strips, and a Three Times acting game.
3rd to 5th grade, 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: a Can You See It? game, kids look up verses in their own Bibles during a fuller story (why Balaam was going, the field, the wall and the narrow place, "I have sinned"), five thinking questions and three recall questions, and a Bible look-up race.
Preteens (ages 11–12), 45–60 minutes, 3 pages: students read Numbers 22:21–35 and 2 Peter 2:15–16 out loud themselves, then discuss blaming, confessing and speaking only God's word. Six discussion questions, a journal page, and two memory verses (Numbers 22:35 and Proverbs 28:13).

Lesson at a glance

Bible passage: Numbers 22:21–35
Main point: Listen to God and do what He says. When we are wrong, we say so and turn back.
Memory verse: Numbers 22:35 (KJV), with Proverbs 28:13 added for preteens
Ages: preschool to preteen, in four versions

Lesson outline (the same in every version)

Opening game: a short game about listening, seeing or owning up.
Bible story: Balaam saddles his ass (Numbers 22:21), the angel of the LORD in the way (22:22), the field, the wall and the narrow place (22:23–27), the LORD opens the mouth of the ass (22:28), the LORD opens the eyes of Balaam (22:31), "I have sinned" (22:34), and "only the word that I shall speak unto thee" (22:35). Every fact has its verse reference so you can check it.
Questions to ask: with answers, at the right level for each age.
Memory verse: a game or motion to help kids learn Numbers 22:35.
What this means for us: listening to God, owning up, the gospel (Acts 2:38), and a challenge for the week.
Activity: the word search, crossword, maze, worksheet, the Balaam's donkey craft, a Three Times acting game, a Bible look-up race or a journal page, depending on the age.
Prayer.

Tips for teaching Balaam's donkey

The KJV says "ass," the old word for a donkey. Say it plainly once, explain it, and then call her the donkey.
Tell the hitting gently and briefly. The angel of the LORD asked Balaam why he did it (Numbers 22:32), and the donkey saved his life (22:33).
The angel is told about in words, as Numbers 22 tells it. Keep the focus on God opening the donkey's mouth and Balaam's eyes.
Short on time? Do the story, three questions and the memory verse. That is a solid 25-minute lesson.

Frequently asked questions

How long does this Balaam's donkey lesson take?

It depends on the age level. The preschool lesson takes 20 to 30 minutes, the kindergarten to 2nd grade lesson about 45 minutes, and the 3rd to 5th grade and preteen lessons 45 to 60 minutes. For a short class, do the story, three questions and the memory verse.

What is the main point of the story of Balaam's donkey for kids?

Listen to God. The donkey saw the angel of the LORD in the way three times, but Balaam did not. When the LORD opened his eyes (Numbers 22:31), Balaam said, "I have sinned" (22:34), and he was told to speak "only the word that I shall speak unto thee" (22:35).

Did Balaam's donkey really talk?

Yes. The Bible says, "the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?" (Numbers 22:28). Peter wrote about it too: "the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet" (2 Peter 2:16). An ass is a donkey.

Why was God angry that Balaam went?

The Bible says, "God's anger was kindled because he went" (Numbers 22:22), and the angel of the LORD told Balaam, "thy way is perverse before me" (22:32), which means his way was not right. Peter wrote that Balaam "loved the wages of unrighteousness" (2 Peter 2:15). The lessons stay with what the Bible says.